Islam and Christianity

ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY
This book is written in the nature of a “key” for those Muslim brothers of ours who have just a smattering of knowledge on how the Islamic religion has developed, and it has been written for those non-Muslims willing to know the fundamentals of Islam. Islam, the most up-to-date and the most immaculate of the world’s existing religions, is based upon very humane and very logical principles. Without going into details, this book touches upon the fundamentals of Islam and makes a comparison of Islam with other religions. It answers criticisms raised against Islam by its adversaries and explains as compendiously as possible the qualifications essential for being a good Muslim.
For those who would like to read valuable books on Islam written by Islamic scholars (rahimahumullâhu ta’âlâ) after learning the facts contained in this book, we advise that they read books published in different languages by the Hakîkat Kitabevi (Bookstore) in Istanbul. The names of these books are appended to our books. Read this book slowly and with reflection! Encourage others to read it, too! An ignorant person cannot be a good Muslim. Indeed, it is impossible for a person not to attach all his heart to Islam after learning its fundamentals. After reading this book, you will also realize what a lofty, sacred, logical, and perfect religion Islam is, and you will attach all your heart and soul to it in order to attain salvation and repose in this world and in the hereafter.
Islam that abrogated celestial religions of Judaism and Christianity along with their validity is explained first. That Qur’an-ı Karîm is word of Allah; miracles of Muhammad ׳alayhissalâm, his virtues, moral practices and habits; how to be a true Muslim; a comparison of Islam and Christianity; that Muslims are scientifically powerful; are explained next.

agreement among

agreement among yourselves. What will you guide us with?” The following is another account given by the person we have mentioned earlier: “In 1939 I was working in an institution in the vicinity of an ecclesiastical school in Adams Mission. I was twenty years old. Time and again students from the ecclesiastical school came to the place where I worked and insulted us and scoffed at us by abusing Muhammad ‘alaihis-salâm’ and the Qur’ân al-kerîm with the rudest, the most spiteful and inimical terms. According to their creed, Muslims are the most abhorrent creatures of the world, and the Islamic religion is a heresy. Being an extremely sensitive person, I was very deeply hurt by their denigrations, so much so that I spent sleepless nights. I was unable to answer them. I did not have sufficient knowledge, let alone about Christianity, about Islam, my own religion. Consequently, I decided to embark on a quintessential study of the Holy Bible and the Qur’ân al-kerîm, to increase my awareness about ChristianityandIslam, and to read books about the subject. I have been busying myself with these studies for forty years. I received the greatest help in this respect from the Arabic book Izhâr-ul-Haqq, which was written in Istanbul by Rahmatullah Efendi of India ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’. [This renowned book was printed in Egypt in 1280 [1864 C.E.] and was rendered into various languages, Turkish included. Rahmatullah Efendi passed away in Mekka-i-mukarrama (the blessed city of Mecca), in 1306 (1889 C.E.), when he was seventy-five years old.] After some time, the truth shone like the sun before my eyes. I now knew everything, including the details. From then on the would-be priests were given the answers they deserved, and they left, agape, and their eyes downcast. Instead of answering them in their kind by using abusive terms, I obeyed the command of Allâhu ta’âlâ and spoke to them in a very dulcet tone. So diligently had I studied the Holy Bible, and so undeniable were the errors I had carefully picked out, that their desperate and futile fumblings for an answer were drowned in their consternation at my knowing the Holy Bible better than they did. At last they began to respect me. “In the meantime, I came across a book prepared by a Protestant missionary named Geo G. Harris. Its title read, ‘How To Christianize Muslims’. The priestly author of the book gave the following advice: ‘It is very difficult to Christianize Muslims. – 122 –

For Muslims are strongly adherent to their conventions and are very obstinate. For Christianizing them, it is necessary to have recourse to the following three methods: 1) Muslims are taught that today’s copies of the Holy Bible, that is, the Torah and the Bible, are not the original Torah and the Bible, and the genuine Bible was defiled and interpolated. Ask them the following questions outright: a– Do you have a copy of the real Bible and the Torah? If you do, we would like to see it! b– What differences are there between today’s Holy Bible and the Bible you claim to be true? In what parts are these differences, and how many are there? c– Were these differences you tell us of made purposely, or are they only textual differences? d– Here is a copy of the Holy Bible. Show me the passages that were exposed to interpolation. e– Here is a passage. How would you read it in the original text? 2) Who did the interpolations you claim, and when? 3) Muslims believe that the Holy Bible that we have today is either a similitude of the original copies of the Torah and the Bible or quite a different book written by people. According to Muslims, the Holy Bible that we have today has nothing to do with the Holy Bible revealed to Jesus (Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’). However, they will be taken aback when they are asked the aforenamed questions. For Muslims are mostly uneducated. Their opinion that the Holy Bible is not genuine is only hearsay. Let alone knowing about the books of the Holy Bible, such as the Old Testament and the New Testament, they lack the necessary knowledge about their own religion. A couple of serious questions will suffice to disorient them, and they will not know how to answer you. Then, saying that you are going to give them some information, choose a few attractive passages that you think they will understand easily, and read them with a soft voice, a smiling face, and a sweet language. Give them a few booklets and pamphlets telling about the virtues of Christianity in a clear, understandable language. Never have recourse to coercion to Christianize them. Always give them time to think and then decide. Be sure that you will be able to Christianize them if you act in this manner. At least you can cause – 123 –